


Already Married

by MadameMoo



Category: Scum (1979)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:03:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameMoo/pseuds/MadameMoo
Summary: Shen Yuan had a husband. His name was also Luo Binghe.





	Already Married

“--and the ending was unsatisfying as well!!”

Shen Yuan aggressively chews on his dumpling after finishing his rant, taking care that no crumbs fall on the car. Binghe will surely clean them, but Shen Yuan doesn’t like adding work for his husband.

His adoring, patient husband, who has been listening ever since they left their apartment and Shen Yuan anger-ate his way through the snacks Luo Binghe made earlier that day, hums. “A-Yuan is always very angry about this story. But I can’t help but wonder if what he’s really angry about is that 3-digit harem your husband has.”

“Whose husband?” Shen Yuan shoots a glare at Luo Binghe’s teasing smirk. “The only husband with a 3-digit harem is the one sleeping on the couch.”

“So mean!” Luo Binghe pouts. “But I really don’t see what that Luo Binghe sees in the harem. Maybe blackening screwed up his head.”

“It’s a fictional story, don’t compare yourself to him.” 

Luo Binghe the real person was a million times better than Luo Binghe the blackened harem master. 

“Didn’t A-Yuan say this husband resembled that character, though?”

“Only when he was a cute white lotus,” Shen Yuan grumbles. Privately, he adds, and in beauty . But there are some things you don’t just randomly blurt out on the way to a fancy restaurant while driving on a busy highway. Even if Shen Yuan worked up the nerve, Luo Binghe would surely do something dramatic like compliment Shen Yuan, and then Shen Yuan will have to bury his head in the window, and Luo Binghe will tease him, and by the time their date truly begins, Shen Yuan will already be a blushing mess and have to plan his revenge, which is an annoying amount of work.

He pauses. “I take it back. You’ve already blackened.”

Luo Binghe chokes on a laugh. He turns to Shen Yuan now that they’ve reached a red light and takes Shen Yuan’s hand in his own, placing a soft kiss across Shen Yuan’s knuckles. Shen Yuan can feel his cheeks heat and curses. Years have passed since he married this guy, and he still hasn’t built up immunity!

As if he can hear Shen Yuan’s thoughts, or maybe in pleasure from the blush, Luo Binghe’s eyes darken. “You say that like you don’t enjoy it,” he purrs. 

“Enjoy what?” Shen Yuan huffs. “Binghe was much cuter when he was always blushing upon seeing me. His little crush was so adorable...and embarrassing.”

Unbidden, the image of Luo Binghe some years ago, when Shen Yuan was only just barely coming to terms with his sexuality and his family chef’s son randomly gave him flowers one day and stutteringly asked him out, his ears and face beet red, comes to mind. Shen Yuan doesn’t try to hide the smile.

“We’re married.”

“Still,” Shen Yuan insists. “You were embarrassing.”

“I’m not the one quoting a meme,” Luo Binghe grumbles.

“Ah! Praise be, this old man has learned millennial culture!”

“A-Yuaaan,” he whines.

Shen Yuan squeezes their still-linked hands together. The traffic light turns green, and Luo Binghe concentrates on driving, their hands reluctantly parting.

It was true that the Luo Binghe from that trash novel Proud Immortal Demon Way resembled his husband, but it was mostly superficial. Or, as Shen Yuan said, limited to when Luo Binghe was a teen. Shen Yuan had only occasionally met Luo Binghe when they were still children, but that hardworking boy who always had a kind smile…

Yes, that seemed rather like the white lotus protagonist.

The fact that the protagonist shared a name with his husband was what got him reading the novel, and even after their personalities diverged… Shen Yuan couldn’t help but be somewhat invested. The story had so much potential , if Airplane would just use it ...

And it...kind of hurt.

Even though that Luo Binghe was fictional, the idea of any version of his husband suffering so much made something unpleasant clench in his chest. Especially when so much of it came at the hands of a character that shares Shen Yuan’s own name.

Fuck Shen Qingqiu.

Fuck Airplane!

Fuck the entire novel, in fact! Good riddance! Maybe now Shen Yuan can move onto better literature.

“Stupid author, stupid novel,” he can’t help but grumble once more.

Luo Binghe laughs. “If I were that Luo Binghe, I wouldn’t settle for a harem. I’d go and find A-Yuan and marry him again.”

“‘Settle for’ the harem? Ridiculous.”

“Not so! Not even a thousand beauties can compare to a single A-Yuan. Besides, that Luo Binghe has that dimension-traveling sword, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t think it works like that. You can’t just randomly jump dimensions.”

“Can too,” Luo Binghe insists. “Any world with A-Yuan is better, so obviously I’d follow him there.”

“Ridiculous,” Shen Yuan grumbles again, pleased. “Well, if it was Binghe in that novel, I would have to go after you as well. Who knows what you’d mess up?”

“Don’t you think I can be an amazing protagonist?”

“Hmm, let me think… how about a supporting love interest?”

“A supporting love interest?! Not even the main one?”

“The main love, then,” Shen Yuan aquesces, “but then I’d have to be the protagonist.”

Luo Binghe’s eyes curve into crescents. “That’s a story I wouldn’t mind reading.”

Yes, yes it was. 

Their story, across pages still unwritten. They were young, they had time. Their story has only just begun. Maybe someday Shen Yuan could try his hand at writing it out, long after they were old and gray and complained about back pain, and had enough memories for a lifetime. 

Wherever their story led them, Shen Yuan would be happy to follow, as long as it was with Luo Binghe beside him.

Even , he thinks ruefully, glancing out the window. Even if it is that stupid novel .

Flashing lights blind him, the screech of metal on road echoing painfully in his ears. Shen Yuan’s eyes widen, and he throws himself to cover Luo Binghe. A second later, air bursts from his chest as something breaks, and distantly, he thinks he can hear Luo Binghe yell his name.

Everything goes black.

He’s floating in it, the pleasant darkness, a distant mental grumble betraying his return to wakefulness as a voice that sounds oddly like Google Translate says something he’s too lethargic to fully process. 

The sheets are cold.

Did Luo Binghe already wake up? He had a habit of doing that to make breakfast, especially after nights where Shen Yuan was this tired out. 

But usually his backside hurt more after those nights.

Even if they did it the other way, Luo Binghe became lazy the next morning, turning those into rare occasions where Shen Yuan woke up before his husband and could wake him with kisses. Blearily, he murmurs, “...Binghe.”

The sheets are still cold.

Shen Yuan shifts to his side, where he can feel a warm arm. He latches onto it, feels the muscles tense but do nothing else. Was Luo Binghe really going to make Shen Yuan wake up on his own, even though he was right here? Hmph. After so long of sticking to him like an octopus in the mornings, how dare he make Shen Yuan have to cling to him instead. Or maybe he was still sleeping…

But then, why were the sheets cold?

Reluctantly, Shen Yuan opens his eyes.

An unknown man greets him. “Shen-shidi is finally awake.”

Shen Yuan freezes.

He immediately lets go of that arm, and doesn’t bother with the flash of pain in that man’s eyes. Sitting up, he takes in his surroundings...and himself. 

Long hair curtains his face when he lowers his head to take in the ancient-styled robes he’s wearing.

This was not his bed. This was not his clothing. This was not his house.

This… was not his body.

What happened?

Did he--and Luo Binghe? That car-- Was he still-- He could be-- No nonono not Binghe--

“Shen-shidi!” The man reaches up to steady him, hand placed on his back and sending a soothing wave of--something warm--through it. Shen Yuan freezes again. The man grimaces as he notices, but doesn’t pull back.

“Shen-shidi, please calm down. You just went through a qi deviation. ...Do you want me to bring Luo Binghe here?”

“What?” he rasps. Could it be that this wasn’t what he thought it was, but against all odds, was some weird TV prank?

The man hesitates. “You were calling his name as if fearing he were...hurt. He’s still in the shed like you always leave him after a beating. That boy…I can call him if it would help Shidi...” he trailed off, some reluctance and disapproval making their way through. 

Beatings? Him? To Luo Binghe ?

The shed?

That voice that sounded like Google Translate.

‘Shen-shidi.’

Oh.

The universe truly had a sense of irony.

The man shouts his name again in panic. Shen Yuan ignores him. He ignores the mechanical voice when it deducts points for OOC behavior too.

It is only when the man’s hands cup his face that Shen Yuan reacts, aggressively throwing him off. A harsh retort catches in his throat, and Shen Yuan abruptly realizes his face is wet.

“Xiao-jiu,” the man tries again. “You-”

“Get out.”

The man hesitates.

“I said get out!” Shen Yuan yells at him, and his voice breaks at the end. His vision blurs as more tears spill down his cheeks.

The man slips from the room, resignation pulling down his shoulders. 

Shen Yuan is left alone.

 

-

 

By the next morning, Shen Yuan gathers the scattered pieces of himself and reforms them into Shen Qingqiu.

He ignores yesterday with enough intensity that Yue Qingyuan eventually catches on. It is convenient that Qi deviation led to random outbursts of emotion. It is also convenient that they can cause physical damage, and even steal memories.

Not that Shen Qingqiu let the amnesia idea linger for long but… he’s uncomfortably familiar with the kind of expression Yue Qingyuan directs at him when he thinks Shen Qingqiu isn’t looking. 

Or rather, at who Yue Qingyuan thinks ‘Shen Qingqiu’ is.

There's a history there that Shen Qingqiu doesn’t know. That Airplane only bothered to hint at in the novel, with Yue Qingyuan’s suicidal loyalty and excessive permissiveness. Besides, there was enough theorizing in the forums regarding the two that Shen Qingqiu can’t help but feel uncomfortable.

Especially when the System confirms it and awards him points for noticing a hidden plot point.

What was Shen Qingqiu supposed to do? Please don’t tell him Yue Qingyuan is his ex now. Or worse… some kind of... current romantic relationship…

So while Shen Qingqiu would rather avoid the amnesia trope, he files the information away in case the relationship between the two ever comes up in a way Shen Qingqiu can’t avoid. Even if dumping Shen Qingqiu’s only ally is stupid and OOC, he would rather nip it in the bud than force himself to fake feelings for another man.

For now, though, he will concentrate on getting OOC restrictions lifted to get rid of this “original Shen Qingqiu’’ farce as quick as possible, and get on with hugging Luo Binghe’s thigh!

He hesitates before summoning Luo Binghe. 

A part of him can’t help but hope that… 

And then he feels horrible for hoping. 

Shen Qingqiu would never wish death on his husband, even if it means that they would be together now. After all, didn’t that System say he transmigrated into Shen Qingqiu because of something Shen Yuan said? There was no guarantee that would apply to Luo Binghe as well, and when Shen Yuan asked if Luo Binghe--his Luo Binghe--was alive, the System said it only had information about the Shen Yuan-Shen Qingqiu account.

It’s not like Luo Binghe ever read the novel beyond browsing the first chapters and then losing interest. Most of his knowledge came from listening to Shen Yuan rant. The chance that he would transmigrate into this novel alongside Shen Qingqiu, much less into the protagonist character… 

Shen Qingqiu steels himself and orders Ming Fan to bring the boy over.

When the System explained what would happen if he lost all his points, Shen Qingqiu was tempted. Tempted to return, if only to see what had happened. Tempted to see if maybe then, he could at least tell Binghe goodbye.

But the universe is not so kind.

What’s his guarantee that he isn’t merely throwing his life away? What would Binghe say, after all his effort to bring light to Shen Yuan’s life, if he merely died now. 

Shen Yuan did not break his oaths to his husband. 

But more than that...

He wants to live. He wants to not end up as a human stick.

Even if Luo Binghe were here...even if he isn’t here...he would want the same thing for him. Just as if their situations were reversed, Shen Qingqiu would only wish the best for Luo Binghe.

There was no point in dwelling on what-ifs.

Yet, he can’t help but feel sharp disappointment when he finally meets the protagonist of Proud Immortal Demon Way .

He looks nothing like Shen Yuan’s Luo Binghe.

Maybe it was the youth, the subtle baby fat still clinging to his skin. 

...No, he couldn’t delude himself. They really didn’t share any features.

Whereas Shen Yuan’s Luo Binghe had a broad jaw, a slightly too-big nose, tanned skin and giant pecs that Shen Yuan loved using as pillows…

Hidden underneath the bruises, this little boy had the delicate features of a future prince charming. He didn’t even look like Luo Binghe when he’d been a teen, all gangly limbs and awkward proportions. This child was like a god hidden amongst mortals.

He would be beautiful, but in a different way than Shen Yuan’s Luo Binghe. In an almost sacrilegious feeling, Shen Yuan can’t help but think his own Binghe was the fairest of the two.

…. But…. those eyes.

The calculation hidden within them, the pride that refused to bend even for the most fearsome of foes, the...suspicion and contempt? Was that really something a white lotus would feel, or was he already blackening?

Those were all ways Shen Yuan’s husband would look at those he felt beneath him but couldn’t act against. 

Couldn’t act against yet .

Hah, Shen Qingqiu was right. They did have some similarities after all.

It didn’t make him feel any better.

He quickly dismisses him after making an excuse for the medicine, and the surprise Luo Binghe fails to disguise doesn’t even improve his mood. 

Shen Qingqiu sighs. 

Bitterly, he can’t help but remember their final conversation.

Maybe… Shen Qingqiu can borrow Xin Mo. Just for a bit. He’d be out of the protagonists hair if he did, right?

...Right.

 

-

 

Shen Qingqiu can admit that he’s avoiding Luo Binghe. The less interaction he has with the protagonist, the less chances of losing any points. It’s a pragmatic choice, and frankly, Luo Binghe seems equally keen on avoiding his path. 

One time, their eyes met across a clearing, and Luo Binghe straight up turned around and walked away with barely a deferential nod. It certainly saved Shen Qingqiu the need to do it himself and lose points in the process. He can’t help the relief when he doesn’t see the protagonist for the rest of the week. 

Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang are harder to avoid, since the former stalks him with unwanted intensity and the latter is dragged along with an exhausted sigh.

Shen Qingqiu is fine! So what if he sometimes stops and stares into thin air, because a song drifting from a guqin reminds him of a show he and Binghe were watching? So what if he hasn’t been eating, when this food is so bland compared to the delicacies Binghe made? So what if when his disciples get his attention, he briefly startles as if he didn't hear them come, even though his cultivation was so advanced none of them could presume to sneak up upon him?

They were all reasonable things!

What was more disturbing was that these two were aware of the details of Shen Qingqiu’s daily life! Just what kind of stalkers was Cang Qiong filled with?!

Shen! Qingqiu! Was! Fine!

Irritated and in need of solitude, he heads to the bamboo forest. It’s somewhat inspired by Mu Qingfang’s excessive questions about his health to see whether his cultivation was intact. Shen Qingqiu isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do if it isn’t. He’s not entirely sure he cares, but it would certainly hinder his plot to enter the Abyss if he can’t even survive long enough to find Xin Mo.

Whatever his expectations were it certainly wasn’t to cleave a giant gash into the earth without barely any effort! Shen Yuan’s breath catches in his throat, elation rising. This--this was the true cultivator experience! He’s amazing! An OP cultivator straight from a novel! “Binghe, did you see that?!” he calls, swiftly turning around with a grin on his face and--

Ah.

Of course he wouldn’t be there.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes prickle uncomfortably. He’s about to cleave another, more frustrated, gash into the earth when the sound of crunching leaves reaches his ears. Young voices chatter, wondering about a strange noise they hurt. Shen Qingqiu swallows a lump in his throat when he recognizes one of them as Luo Binghe.

This stupid novel! Of course the timing of everything would be terrible as well. Shen Qingqiu hides behind a tree that nonetheless grants him a perfect view of Luo Binghe. When the child’s eyes widen at the large gash, Shen Qingqiu imagines another, older face with the same expression. His heart hurts. That’s exactly the same kind of ‘what the fuck just happened’ expression Binghe used to make.

Luo Binghe looks around with deep suspicion, and the expression doesn’t abate as he goes to chop wood in mutinous silence. This child is annoyingly and unexpectedly smart, to suspect the culprit is hiding around.

Come to think of it, he had that same suspicion on his face when receiving the medicine, hadn’t he? It was good for him to not be naive, but it would be a major hurdle in Shen Qingqiu’s continued survival. 

Shen Qingqiu, holding very still, mentally thanks this body for having a hundred times the physical fitness of his old body. 

He doesn’t even want to imagine the cramps that would settle in his legs as Luo Binghe chops wood...and chops wood… and chops wood… and continues to be terrible at chopping wood. It reaches the point where Ning Yingying goes to him and corrects his technique, with the smug air of someone pleased to be better than her crush.

Luo Binghe, showcasing the same ease of learning that Shen Qingqiu expects from any version of him, takes the correction and quickly finishes his chores.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyebrows furrow. 

Luo Binghe wasn’t so unused to these chores that he’d need a technique correction. He’s been doing them for...however long it has been since joining Qing Jing (Shen Qingqiu forgot to ask in his hurry to dismiss Luo Binghe and avoid him at all costs. Now, he curses his oversight). Not to mention that he must have also worked hard before joining the peak. This world wasn’t like the modern one. Only the rich could evade irritating chores such as this one.

Which… vaguely made him wonder how Ning Yingying knew the proper technique. Then again, in cultivation sects, only the Peak Lord evaded such cumbersome responsibilities. Even a sheltered little sister like Ning Yingying would end up doing chores once or twice. 

Hmm, could this be a seduction technique on Luo Binghe’s behalf? Getting the little sister to help him out to make her feel better and grow closer…. 

Shen Qingqiu is uncomfortable at the thought. 

Was there a scene like that in the novel?

Shen Qingqiu skipped over most of the romance, so he can't remember.

Then, Shen Quingqui's mouth falls open as Luo Binghe sets down to cultivate using a proper technique, one Shen Qingqiu recognizes from the high-quality cultivation manuals he read earlier that day. The air shimmers from the amount of ambient Qi he’s absorbing. 

The protagonist spent all his time on Qing Jing peak learning from faulty cultivation manuals. That further highlighted his protagonist halo, as he somehow managed to avoid Qi deviation and death and still advanced his cultivation to amazing heights by complete accident.

How could Luo Binghe know a proper cultivation technique?

...Did he transmigrate into fanfiction? 

One where Luo Binghe wasn’t hurt by the peak lord and disciples of Qing Jing? But no, he was clearly suffering from bullying. He had even more bruises now than he had the last time Shen Qingqiu saw him! Did he even use the medicine Shen Qingqiu gave him?! Honestly, this brat…

If the bullying was still the same there was no reason to think the cultivation manual would be any different.

Then, could this be a fic where Ning Yingying had more than negative 40 IQ, noticed the problems, and helped Luo Binghe?

But from where she pouted as Luo Binghe ignored her to focus on cultivating, that didn’t quite seem to be the case. She seemed just as accident-prone, childish, and ditzy as Shen Qingqiu would expect. A typical harem member with fluff instead of brain.

Then… is this a fic where Luo Binghe noticed his mistreatment and blackened earlier, his black lotus halo somehow guiding his way to proper cultivation where the white lotus halo only accidentally helped him? 

The thought is so horrifying Shen Qingqiu nearly breaks into hives.

This is already hard enough without transmigrating into an unknown version of this novel!

Luo Binghe has barely set down to cultivate when Ming Fan and his troupe of bullies come in and immediately start posturing. 

Luo Binghe ignores them. His regard for them is limited to a humorless expression, as if they were annoying children buzzing about instead of his hated tormentors. He doesn’t even bother to greet them, and gazes at them through slitted, irritated eyes. 

Shen Qingqiu blinks at these disciples. Did Ming Fan have a swollen cheek the last time Shen Qingqiu saw him? And...was his nose that bent? Ming Fan’s face was unlucky, but he’s relatively certain it looked better a few days ago.

… Maybe a training exercise got too violent. 

Ming Fan glowers at Luo Binghe then decides to ignore him and brags to Ning Yingying about a jade pendant his family gave him. It is obviously meant to get a rise out of Luo Binghe. As an orphan, and a penniless one at that, it’s just rubbing Ming Fan’s wealth into Luo Binghe’s face while trying to gain points with Ning Yingying.

It fails. 

With a sinking feeling, Shen Qingqiu watches this scene play out, cursing himself for not trying to remember the early scenes of the novel better, or at least finding out when he transmigrated. 

Maybe if he had he could have picked literally any other time to come practice, and not be confronted with Luo Binghe losing his most treasured possession.

Standing behind the tree, he hesitates, and then forces his white-knuckled fists back against the trunk.

Ning Yingying, unable to tell quality from trash, tries to pout her way into letting Luo Binghe show her his pendant, Ming Fan gets jealous and asks, “…Does shidi also wear this kind of thing?”

Now Luo Binghe will hesitate, Ning Yingying will take her chance, a fight will break out and---

“No.”

...No???

Ning Yingying’s eyes widen, and a pout crosses her face. “But A-Luo! You always wear it.”

Luo Binghe glares at her, an expression as cold as the river he gained his name from. Ning Yingying shivers and immediately quiets down, shuffling backwards. “I don’t,” he says, silky and flat. “Ning-Shijie must have confused me for someone else.”

For a second, it looks like Ning Yingying’s inability to read the mood and spoiled desire to get her way will win over her better instincts. Then, cowed, she nods.

If Shen Qingqiu were an anime character, he’d have fallen flat on his face.

Was that really a way to treat one of your wives, Luo Binghe? If it had been Shen Yuan in her place, he’d have… 

Well, it wasn’t Shen Qingqiu in her place, so there wasn’t any point to that thought.

“Oi! Who do you think you are, treating Ning Yingying-shimei like that when all she wanted to see your accessory? I bet you made it up to try and impress her! If we face enemies in the future, with that attitude, you’ll surely betray us!”

What has this peak of scholars been teaching for such a gigantic rhetorical fallacy to exist?! 

Luo Binghe scoffs. “I don’t want to hear that from someone who purposely gave me a faulty cultivation manual. By that logic, aren’t you the one just waiting for me to suffer a qi deviation and cripple myself?”

Ning Yingying gasps. “Purposely? I thought you said it was on accident. Oh, A-Luo.” Her big, doleful eyes fill with tears.

Ming Fan’s face turns an ugly shade of puce. Now that definitely did him no favors. “It was an accident,” he grinds out. “...This shixiong is at fault for not checking the manual beforehand, and wouldn’t dare wish harm upon shidi.”

Luo Binghe’s long eyelashes frame his dark eyes as he stares evenly at Ming Fan. “Okay,” he says. “I believe and forgive you, Shixiong. I know you wouldn’t have done so on purpose.”

Heh. Hehe. 

It seems Ming Fan’s fate has already been sealed. Ai, where did the protagonist’s amazing acting skills go. Isn’t he supposed to hide the greatest of hurts behind an infallible smile?

Besides, wasn’t Luo Binghe too young to be going around confronting his bullies like this? Shen Qingqiu wracks his head for the early novel scenes, but this first agony-for-the-sake-of-agony arc made him froth in the mouth and aggressively cuddle his husband, so he mostly remembers the... ahem ...cuddling sessions from real life.

He read a novel with over a thousand chapters, averaging ten thousand words each chapter, in twenty days. It makes sense that he won’t remember every detail perfectly. 

Yet, something is off.

Even beyond the giant divergence from what he’s relatively sure happened here--that is, Luo Binghe losing his pendant, though it could be that this is simply the wrong scene. Even beyond that… 

Shouldn’t Luo Binghe still be a forgiving white lotus?

If Shen Qingqiu remembered correctly, he shouldn’t have started blackening until a year or two before the Immortal Alliance Conference.

And that would be when Luo Binghe was… 17? Ish? The novel extended until Luo Binghe was well into his second century, so it has been a while. However, he’s mostly certain that age is correct. 

So this child, who looks maybe 15 or 16 at most…

Well, it was about that age. 

Shen Qingqiu grimaces.

But he’s relatively certain this was the scene where Luo Binghe would lose his pendant. What changed?

Could it be… that Luo Binghe...also… is…

Shen Qingqiu swallows painfully, and for the first time since their meeting, focuses on Luo Binghe without having his eyes dragged involuntarily.

Like a king facing a rebellious vassal, Luo Binghe stands with a straight and proud back, contempt and arrogance clear. His mien is serious, unflinching, as he and Ming Fan glare at each while Ning Yingying glances between them.

Compared to the white lotus protagonist, he seemed much more like the blackened adult Luo Binghe, that unbending, vicious harem master who would sooner destroy the world than admit defeat.

...Time travel?

Shen Qingqiu shivers. 

Horrifying! Utterly horrifying thought!

Besides, harem master Luo Binghe, casanova extraordinaire, would never be so dismissive of his first wife.

Shen Qingqiu drags his eyes away from that child.

How many times had Shen Yuan stumbled upon unruly men weeping bitter tears as they were cowed by the indomitable force that was his husband.

Luo Binghe really did… resemble his husband somewhat. 

He’d already established that.

This was… projecting, wasn’t it? His husband onto this child.

In the clearing, Luo Binghe manages to win the posturing contest, Ming Fan unwilling to ruin Ning Yingying’s opinion of him more than he has done. He leaves, spitting insults, and his lackeys trailing behind him.

Luo Binghe then ignores him and Ning Yingying’s conversation attempts to resume cultivating.

Still hiding behind the tree, the clenched fist relaxes. The leaves Shen Qingqiu had plucked to stop any fight from breaking out flutter to the ground. 

Eventually, the children leave the clearing. Night falls.

Shen Qingqiu does not move for a long, long time.

 

 

~~~~~

 

 

The disciples of Qing Jing peak tip-toe around their master.

They do not sneak, for they are not so deceitful. Even if their master was unlikely to care, and would only punish them if their schemes were caught, and the punishment was sure to be a terrible price to pay...

He was still their master. And ever since that Qi deviation, he has not been the same. For the first week, he had barely been seen. Despite gossip stating that the Qi deviation had been entirely benign, and didn’t injure Shen Qingqiu… 

Sect Leader Yue looked increasingly troubled each time he departed the bamboo house, and Mu Qingfang was a frequent visitor in the peak.

The first time Shen Qingqiu left his house, his face was so pale it nearly blended in with the white robes he had on.

Aside from the few moments when interest glimmered in his eyes, his gaze was vacant as he floated about the peak, more like a ghost than a person.

Even with the increasingly outrageous whispers floating around, one sentence was repeated until it all but became fact.

It was like he lost his soul.

Luo Binghe has little reference for Shen Qingqiu’s previous temperament, but even he has to admit that Shen Qingqiu’s behavior is unexpected.

Then again, there’s nothing about this situation that he expected .

He woke up hanging in a dilapidated shed, feeling like a person-shaped bruise. Consider his last memories, if the setting had been a hospital bed instead of a shed, this would have all been acceptable.

It’s not.

It’s really not.

Rage boiled in Luo Binghe’s lungs like the grief that spilled from his eyes as he cursed out every deity he knew of, and especially the system that gave out instructions to him that he spitefully ignored as much as possible.

When his tears dry, he’s still limply hanging from the ceiling shed. But this time, purpose fills him.

The odds that Shen Yuan, his foolish husband who tried to shield Luo Binghe from harm, survived when Luo Binghe didn’t were slim.

They are the only hope Luo Binghe has.

He will find that dimension-cleaving sword and use it to find his husband, damn the plot and damn everything else. 

No sooner has his resolution been made than he’s summoned by Shen Qingqiu. It’s only a relief in that he’s finally let out from that shed.

Despite himself, hatred fills Luo Binghe when he thinks of this man. It was one thing to hear about Shen Qingqiu’s misdeeds when Shen Yuan ranted, so clearly projecting his husband onto the abused protagonist that Luo Binghe wanted to smother him in kisses. That was amusing.

Waking in the aftermath of Shen Qingqiu’s loving care was not. 

How old was this body? 13 or 14? This Luo Binghe was a child . 

And now he’s dead, his last moments hanging in a dark shed, every inch of his body in pain, all at the hands of someone meant to guide and protect him instead.

It’s almost enough to make him think about indulging Shen Yuan’s wishes, but Luo Binghe’s modern sensibilities win out. He couldn’t stomach doing half the things the protagonist did.

Even though it would be deserved, he reflects grimly, wincing as he limps towards a bamboo house.

Instead of another beating, however, Shen Qingqiu gives him medicine. Luo Binghe subtly studies him, though he’s certain his dislike isn’t so well-hidden as it could be. Pain was never Luo Binghe’s favorite way to feel.

Yet, despite what Luo Binghe was imagining Shen Qingqiu would do when faced with such dislike, all the man does is study him in return before abruptly looking away. Luo Binghe is quickly dismissed, and Shen Qingqiu doesn’t so much as glance his way again.

Odd. Unexpected.

Out-of-character? 

Luo Binghe shakes his head. He focuses instead on the world he found himself in. He needs to get stronger if he wants to survive the Abyss and find Shen Yuan again, and to do that he needs a cultivation manual.

Before he goes and searches for one, though, he takes a moment to breathe deeply. In, out, just like his mother taught him. He breathes until his emotions mirror the superficial tranquility of Qing Jing peak.

It really was beautiful. Calm and serene, so clearly magical that Shen Yuan would have loved it. 

Luo Binghe had never felt so alone.


End file.
